Accessing the Message Interface

From Order Page:

1. Open any Order.
2. Look for the "Send WhatsApp" option in the order actions menu of the user card
3. Click to open the WhatsApp messaging panel
4. 

From Messages Menu:

1. Navigate to Messages → Incoming WhatsApp in the main menu
2. Select a conversation or start a new one
3. 

Sending Messages

Option 1: Template Messages

Templates can be sent anytime and are required when messaging customers who haven't messaged you in the last 24 hours.

1. Click on the Template tab
2. Select a template from the dropdown menu
3. The template preview will appear, showing the message structure
4. Fill in the template variables:
   • Variables appear as input fields labeled (Body - 1, Body - 2, etc.)
   • System variables like customer name are auto-filled
   • Manual variables require your input
5. Review the complete message preview
6. Click "Send message" to send
7. 

Example Template Usage:

• Template: "Address update"
• Message: "Hi {{1}}, your delivery address has been successfully updated to {{2}}. Contact {{3}} for any inquiries."
• You would fill in:
  • Body - 1: Customer's name (e.g., "John")
  • Body - 2: New address (e.g., "123 Main St")
  • Body - 3: Support email (e.g., "support@company.com")

Option 2: Freeform Messages

Only available within 24 hours of receiving a customer message.

1. Click on the Message tab
2. Type your message in the text field
3. Character counter shows remaining characters (max 1600)
4. Click "Send message" to send
5. 

Incoming Messages Management

Accessing Incoming Messages

1. Navigate to Messages → Incoming WhatsApp in the main menu
2. View the list of all WhatsApp Incoming Messages
3. 

List Features

• Received: Shows the time we receive the webhook message from WhatsApp. Remember, this time may differ from the time shown in the WhatsApp application to the user.
• Order: Displays the order number assigned to that message. Users can modify or assign a new order number to a message.
• Service Location: Shows the service location for the assigned order
• Store: Shows the store for the assigned order
• Sender: Shows the phone number of the sender in the international format
• Text: Display the message text. We show a maximum of two lines of the message.

Filters

• Service Location: Shows the results for the service location.
• Store: Shows the results for the store.
• From/To: Filter result between from and to dates.
• Search: If the input text was in the format of the Fixably order number, we search for the order numbers; otherwise, we search for the sender’s phone number.

Opening a Message

• Click on “Text“ in the list
• You can use the open panel to send the message

Sending Messages in the Right Side Panel

• If outside the 24-hour window, only the template tab is available to send the message
• If within a 24-hour window, both message and template tabs are available
• 
• 

Understanding the 24-Hour Messaging Window

What is the 24-Hour Window?

WhatsApp Business API has a messaging policy that restricts when businesses can send free-form (non-template) messages to customers.

The Rules

• Customer Initiates: When a customer sends you a message, a 24-hour window opens
• Within 24 Hours: You can send both free-form messages and templates
• After 24 Hours: You can only send pre-approved template messages
• Window Resets: Each new customer message resets the 24-hour timer

Best Practices

• Respond Quickly: Try to respond to customer messages promptly
• Use Templates Wisely: Have templates ready for common scenarios
• Set Expectations: Let customers know response times in your templates
• Monitor Conversations: Check for new messages regularly

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Customer Inquiry

• Customer messages at 2:00 PM asking about repair status
• You can send freeform replies until 2:00 PM the next day
• After that, use templates like "repair_status_update"

Scenario 2: Proactive Update

• No recent customer message (>24 hours)
• You must use a template message
• Customer replies, opening a new 24-hour window